What year is it?
by cajunhusker
Summary: A young Severus Snape is thrown forward in time to the Trio's time. The first person he meets is Hermione. (For a Fan Fic Exchange for May.)
1. Chapter 1

Severus frowned as he stood over a cauldron in Slughorn's classroom. He had gotten permission to work in the afternoons if he wanted to and promised to clean up whatever mess he would happen to make. It had been that way since about second year and now he was in his sixth year.

He glanced at his book and then his potion. This wasn't the right color. Or reactions. He was sure he had done everything right. As he glanced away again, trying to figure out what was wrong, there was a loud pop from the cauldron.

The next thing thing he knew, he was laying on his back in an empty classroom and a headache. The only thing he could see was a girl with frizzy brown hair who he didn't recognize...

"Who are you?" Severus asked quietly as he sat up, wincing slightly at the pain in his head.

The brunette smiled politely. "Hermione Granger. Are you ok? I was walked by and I heard a crash..." she said, offering him a hand to get up. She tilted her head slightly at him as if realizing something. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

Severus hesitantly took her hand. "I guess... My head is throbbing. And my cauldron is gone," he said awkwardly. He certainly didn't know her. "Um, I don't think so. I'm Severus Snape." He paused when he noticed her freezing at the mention of his name. What was that about?

"Um... We should probably bring you Dumbledore," Hermione said, looking completely confused.

He brushed himself off from the dirt that had gotten on him. "Why? I haven't done a bloody thing," he grumbled. He didn't care for that idea. The old headmaster had never done anything for him and he didn't see why going to see him now would do any good. He didn't even know this girl. Which was odd now that he thought about it. He should have at least seen her somewhere around school since they went to school together and she looked like she was in his year.

"No, but apparently someone else did. Come on, s- please," Hermione cut herself off from saying something before please and instead opened the door to lead the way out. She seemed worried and cautious of how she was dealing with him for reasons that he couldn't figure out. If anyone should be cautious, it should be him. They had never met but they went to the same school.

"No one did anything. Not to me at least. _I_ would know if someone had done something to _me_," the black haired boy said simply, looking at her pointedly. All he had done was have a potion mishap. Nothing more or less. "What do you think happened to me?"

Hermione frowned slightly and was obviously thinking on her feet. "Well it's complicated. My closest guess if you had a mishap with a de-aging potion because there is no other way I could be talking to a teenage version of Professor Snape," she said.

Severus froze in shock. Her professor? He didn't even want to think about being a teacher. His brain worked quickly, trying to sort this out. Maybe this was some sort of joke that Potter and his friends were pulling on him. Or something of the sort. They must be using a Polyjuice Potion to mess with him... Though how they convinced Lupin to do such a thing was beyond him since he was only one with the brains to make such a potion, but he was usually the most rational when it came to their pranks. "I haven't... What year is it?" he asked quietly, looking at her. He really hoped her answer was 1976 and this was some sort of massive prank at his expense. There was no way he could be in some other time.

She bit her lip and looked at him for a long moment, leaving him hanging for a moment. "Um... It's 1996," she said quietly, looking at him worriedly.

"It can't be! It's 1976. There is no bloody way to travel forward in time," he said quickly, Severus's brain snapping with what he knew and what had happened. It didn't match up. "This has to be a prank. Where's Potter and Black? This is some elaborate scheme set up by the two of them isn't it? It's a really sad excuse for one too though I'm amazed those two idiots managed to make a decent Polyjuice Potion. They're horrible at Potions." His brain just couldn't comprehend what had happened yet. There was no way for him to understand it. Twenty years in the future... It wasn't possible.

It couldn't be possible.

He still had to fix his fight with Lily from last year and try to be friends with her again. If this was twenty years later, she might be married. Might have a child.

Hermione shook her head slightly. "No. It's 1996. I promise. Which is why I'm thinking we should go see Dumbledore... And maybe your older self," she said gently, trying to soothe him. "We'll all figure it out. With his help. Ok?"

Severus shook his head slightly and just looked away. "Just let me think. This isn't possible," he muttered as he tried to organize his thoughts. He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think. It took a few moments before his thoughts were coherent again and then his brain started to work. If this really wasn't a prank, she wouldn't be so insistent to take him to Dumbledore and figure this out. Neither would she look so sincere... He prided himself on being able to read people while he usually tried to remain calm or at least no show as much emotion. Unless it was around Lily but that didn't count. He finally decided to follow her but he didn't want to see his future self. "Ok. We can go see Dumbledore. But let's keep my future self out of this if we can."

The girl gave him a soft smile. "Good. Then I'll lead the way," she said simply. It was a lot more polite than most people were too him. Maybe he was nicer in this time... Though he honestly doubt it.

Following her cautiously out of the room, Severus looked around. Everything seemed the same around the school except for the people. He remained quiet as he followed her, but he took in every single detail, hoping to find someone he knew and prove this was a prank. Sadly, he didn't, and they reached Dumbledore's office a few minutes later. They were let in with a warm welcome.

"Miss Granger. What a pleasure to- oh," Dumbledore cut off mid sentence when the sixteen year old Severus Snape entered. "I see... Well sit down and explain what happened."

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(For May(The person this Fan fic is for)- I hope you enjoyed this May! I will get the next chapter up as soon as possible, probably the next day or so. I know I'm running late and I do apologize.

For everyone else- I hope you enjoy it! Please review. I would love to hear what you think.)


	2. Chapter 2

Severus frowned at Dumbledore's surprised oh but took a seat beside Hermione across from his desk. He let Hermione explain since she seemed to have a better idea than he did of what was going on right now. He was still trying to figure it out after all, and it wasn't easy by any means. He thoroughly confused. What had supposedly happened shouldn't be possible...

He heard Hermione take a deep breath next to him. "Well... I was walking to the library to get a new book, Headmaster, when I heard a crash so I decided to go investigate," she began quietly. "And I went in and I found him. He says his name is Severus Snape but that can't be. Professor Snape is in his thirties. I shouldn't be meeting him as a teenager. He says it's supposed to be 1976 but he must be confused. There's no way to time travel forward." She was beginning to try to work it out through babbling when Dumbledore raised his hand to stop her.

"I think I get the gist of it," Dumbledore said with a kind smile. "It sounds like you had a mishap of some sort. What do you remember before you met Miss Granger, Severus?"

Severus frowned slightly at the use of his first name. Few people used it, most preferring Snape and the Marauders preferring Snivellous. "I was in Slughorn's classroom working on a new potion. He let me in there when I wished as long as I keep it clean. And it wasn't going right," he said simply, wrinkling his nose slightly. He hated admitting when things went wrong. Especially in front of someone he didn't know. "And there was a pop. I guess it exploded. I went flying and when I opened my eyes, my head hurt and she was standing over me." Speaking of which, his head still was throbbing... He had probably hit it on the floor.

Dumbledore listened quietly, and nodded. "I see... Well I'm sure that is what sent you forward into the future. We will have to figure out how to send you back of course," he said with a smile. "Until then, I think you should continue your school work here. Though you should be resorted since you are technically a new student this year," His eyes twinkled behind his glasses.

"I would rather not. I like being in Slytherin and I have no wish to change that. I fit in well there," Severus said simply. It was one of the few places he felt at home since his home life was never the best.

The old man laughed softly. "I'm sorry. It wasn't quite a recommendation," Dumbledore said politely. "It's school policy. You would be a new student this year. So you have to be resort." He got up and walked towards the old hat. "We'll also have to change your name and put a spell on you to change your appearance so that people don't realize you're actually the young Severus compared to the current Severus." He didn't give him a chance to answer as he set the Sorting Hat on his head.

The hat sat there for a moment, mumbling to itself and Severus. "I've had you here before..." it said softly so only Severus could hear him. "This is quite odd... And I remember I put you in Slytherin last time. But I think it's time for a change. You would do better to make friends in a different house. Walk on the other side of the fence for once. Even if it's only for a short time."

Severus frowned as the hat was put on his head without even giving him the chance to argue with Dumbledore yet. "I would prefer you put me back in Slytherin," he said shortly.

The hat seemed to smirk at his words. "I think you would do better somewhere else though. I told you the first time that you could go in two houses. Now you'll go in the other one. So let's put you in... Gryffindor," it said. The last word was loud enough for the other two to hear.

Hermione looked surprised. "But... I thought he belonged in Slytherin. Professor Snape is head of Slytherin," she said.

"Well the hat has made it's decision," Dumbledore said with a smile, taking the hat and putting it back in it's rightful place. "So you will join Gryffindor today. After we change your appearance a little so that you aren't quite so recognizable. Would you please stand up so that I can?"

Severus pressed his lips together. "No!" he snapped. "I don't want to change my looks. I'm perfectly happy with them, if you don't mind." He looked extremely annoyed. "Isn't there some other way that I can get through my time here without switching houses and my looks? So if you sod would off a bit and give me a bloody say."

Hermione couldn't resist snickering behind her hand. This younger Severus was actually kind of funny. She managed to swallow her amusement after a moment and an idea came to mind. "Why doesn't he stay with Mrs. Weasley? He could continue his studies there since the professors can Floo over there to give him assignments and such... Wouldn't that work?" she asked.

They both looked at her in surprise. Severus hadn't expected that. "That sounds a lot better than going through all of these changes. I prefer to work on my own anyways," he said simply.

Dumbledore thought about it. "Well I'll Floo Molly then and see what she thinks. I see no reason why it shouldn't work. And maybe you could go with him, Miss Granger. Some of your school work will require a partner, like it or not," he said with a smile. "And I know you like to work by yourself as well most of the time."

Severus watched Hermione agree to it if this Mrs. Weasley would agree to it. That couldn't be too bad. She didn't seem too awful so far. "Fine. What will I do until then? I can't just sit here until everything's figured out," he said shortly. He didn't want to sit in an office while people figured his life out for him.

"Of course not. Why don't you wander the castle with Miss Granger for a while? I'm sure you would both enjoy the library if nothing else," Dumbledore suggested.

Hermione smiled and got up. "That would be nice. I was on the way to go get some books myself. Would you be ok with that?" she asked politely. She seemed kind of awkward though but that had to do with the fact that she was talking to a teenage version of one of her professors.

Sighing, Severus got up and nodded slightly, following her out as Dumbledore got ready to Floo Mrs. Weasley. "I'm sure that would work," he said simply. He realized that he didn't know what house she was in despite the fact that he had followed her through most of the castle after being found since his cauldron exploded. "What house are you in?" Maybe she was in Ravenclaw... She seemed rather intelligent.

Hermione paused and bit her lip. "Oh... I'm in Griffindor," she murmured.

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(Here's the new chapter! I hope that you enjoy it. I will start on the new chapter shortly. Please review!

May- I hope you liked this one too!)


	3. Chapter 3

Severus paused in surprise and frowned slightly at her mention of her being a Gryffindor. Damn. He had hoped that they actually had a chance to get along. There was no chance of this happening. That had only worked with Lily before he screwed things up. "I see," he said simply, planning on remaining quiet for the rest of their walk.

Hermione sighed softly at the tone of his voice. This Severus had the same thoughts and prejudices as the thirty six year old Professor Snape, of course.

They walked through the halls of Hogwarts, neither of them talking as they made their way to the library. There was nothing to say after all. One was a Gryffindor and the other a Slytherin. Their houses had never been meant to get along and Severus didn't plan on changing that at the moment.

"Miss Granger... Who is this?" a cold, soft voice asked from behind the two of them, causing Hermione to spin around.

Severus took him in. They looked almost exactly alike. Except the older man's eyes were much colder than his own and he looked older. "I'm Severus Snape," he replied calmly, matching his gaze. This had to be his older self. The greasy hair and the dark eyes. There was no way he would back down from himself. Even if he did seem to hold himself with more authority and power.

Professor Snape paused, his shock only flickering through his eyes for the quickest of moments. "I see... And what would my younger self be doing in the present day?" he asked calmly, glaring down at him. "A potion mishap perhaps?" He showed no sympathy for his younger self.

Hermione quickly stepped in to try to break it up. "Professor, we were just going to the library. Professor Dumbl-"

"Five points from Gryffindor. I was talking to my younger self now. Not you. I thought you were smart enough to realize that," Professor Snape said shortly with some venom in his voice. "I'm sure he can answer for himself."

"Of course I can answer for myself," Severus shot back angrily. Was he really that annoying? He didn't think so. "And it was a potion mistake. Which you made too since we're the same person. So don't talk like you're speaking down on me." He disliked people talking down at him. He was just as good as everyone else.

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow as he ranted. "Of course. However, I have learned from my mistakes. You have yet to do that," he said calmly. "Now. What are you doing walking through the castle where anyone can see you?" His voice didn't gain volume but it was obvious he was annoyed. He didn't like dealing with time travel. It was a nuisance that took forever for him to deal with.

"Professor. That's unfair. He hasn't had the chance to learn from his mistake yet," Hermione argued, stepping in for Severus. "You've had an extra tw-"

"Miss Granger. I believe I asked you stay out of this. I wasn't talking to you," the Professor told her coldly, glaring at her. "That is another five points from Gryffindor for you interrupting my conversation. Would you like to keep losing your precious house points? You don't have very many to start with."

Hermione glared back at him angrily but kept her mouth shut for the time being.

"We were just going to the library, as Professor Dumbledore suggested," Severus snapped. "Just be glad I didn't let him put me in Gryffindor and change my appearance. If you have a problem with things, take it up with him. Now, we were heading to the library. So you can go talk to him while I read." He turned to walk away, not wanting to deal with arse he had turned into. He would try not to turn into that person.

Professor Snape watched him. "I would watch out for Miss Granger if I were you. She's certainly not the kind of company you should be keeping," he said shortly. "I will go discuss your arrangements with Dumbledore"

Hermione looked between the two before following Severus to the library. That really hadn't gone well... "Um, Severus. Shouldn't you two be nicer to each other? You two are the same person," she said quietly as she walked beside the younger one.

"Don't call me Severus," he snapped back. "We aren't friends. Gryffindors and Slytherins can't be friends." He didn't want to go through that again. And she wasn't even his friend so there was no point in trying.

Frowning, Hermione looked away. "Fine. I was just trying to be nice," she said simply as they reached the library, opening the door before him. "I'm sure you know your way around the library so you can find whatever you need. I'll be over there if you need me." She pointed to some stacks and stalked off, leaving him alone.

"I won't need you," Severus shot back before walking away and towards the Potions section. Bloody hell was she annoying. He went in search of something to get his mind off this confusion. Maybe he could figure out what he had done wrong with that potion.

The two stayed apart until Dumbledore came in search of them a couple hours later. "There you are, Severus," he said with a kind smile, Hermione following behind him with a stack of books. "If you wouldn't mind coming with me. Mrs. Weasley is in my office waiting for you." He offered a hand to help the young boy to his feet from where he was sitting with his book.

Severus frowned and got to his feet, ignoring Dumbledore's out stretched hand. He didn't need help to get up. "Ok. I'm coming," he said. "Is she coming too?" He really hoped not. He didn't want to deal with her more than he already had.

"Of course I am! Some of our school work will require a partner and no one will be there for your partner work," Hermione snapped before Dumbledore could answer. "I already said I would anyways."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. "Well come along you two. You can both bring your books with you," he said. "I already had your things brought to my office by a house elf, Miss Granger. So you don't need to worry about anything." He turned and lead the way out of the library and back to his office. "I hope you two will try to get along while with Mrs. Weasley."

Both of them grimaced slightly at the mention of getting along. That wouldn't be happening. They didn't talk the whole way back to the office.

Mrs. Weasley smiled when she saw them. "There you are," she said, pulling Hermione into a tight hug quickly. "We should get going. I have dinner to start and you two to get settled in. Come on. You both look far too thin and could use some food in you." She ushered them through the Floo, first Hermione then Severus before following herself.

Severus stepped out of the fireplace and looked around. So this was where he would be staying until he could get back... Great.

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(Here's yet another chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying it. Thank you for all the reviews so far. I love reading them.)


	4. Chapter 4

Molly was quick to show them to their rooms, smiling and fussing over the two of them. They were too thin or too quiet or too... something. Severus chose to block the fussing out, completely ignoring Hermione. He stepped nodded his thanks when she finally opened the door to his room. "What should I do about clothes?" he asked simply, looking at Mrs. Weasley. He couldn't wear his current clothes for his time here.

"Oh! I completely understand. I'll make sure to find you some before you go to bed," Molly said with a kind smile. "I'm sure one of the boys used to be the same size as you. Dumbledore sent a trunk full of things for you so there might be a few things in there. Go ahead and get settled. I'm going down to make dinner if you need anything." She turned to Hermione a moment later. "And your room is next door, dear. I'm sure you'll find everything you need. Please help Severus if he needs anything."

He could see her nod slightly. "Of course, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said politely, giving the older woman a smile. "Thank you for all of this. I'm going to start putting my things up."

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "Thank you, dear," she said before bustling away downstairs to work on dinner.

Hermione turned to Severus. "If you need anything, feel free to ask without being an arse," she told him simply. She turned away to enter her room, not waiting to see what he said in answer.

Severus frowned slightly. He did deserve that. "How about we agree to be civil to each other? Since everyone knows a Slytherin and a Gryffindor can never get along," he said simply. They were going to be living in the same house and working together. He could be civil, but he would not be her friend. Friends from Gryffindor wouldn't work out. Everyone knew that and he had learned that lesson painfully.

She turned and looked at him for a long moment. "Civil sounds good. Maybe I can show you that not all Gryffindors are prats, as you seem to think," she said calmly, offering him a hand to shake on it and keep the peace for now.

Raising an eyebrow, he took her hand. "People in general are typically prats. However, Gryffindors have a particular knack for being more of prats than others," Severus said simply. The Marauders were who he was basing that off of but he didn't get along with most Gryffindors anyways. "Good luck proving me wrong. Few can."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well then. I will enjoy proving you wrong. Because not everyone is a prat if you can be polite in the first place," she said with a slight smirk. It was obvious she thought his words a challenge that she planned to accept and beat.

Severus sighed. "Bloody Gryffindors. Not everything is a challenge. Now excuse me while I unpack," he said simply and turned away, going in his room to unpack. He gave her a slight nod before closing the door for privacy.

He heard her door close a few moments later before going over to his trunk and searching through it. Maybe the old man, Dumbledore, had managed to pack him some decent clothes. He was scared to find out what Mrs. Weasley would bring back for him if there weren't any. He managed to find some clothes, which were actually decent. They were darker. Mostly black but there was some greens and a few white shirts. Just everyday clothes. Even some pajamas in green and silver...

Why did Dumbledore have all these things anyways? Did he constantly clothe students that were the same size as him?

He sighed and shook his head before changing into some regular clothes that he found. Black shirt and pants. Glancing in a mirror, he smirked. It looked good. It even fit correctly. He had always liked to wear darker colors, and now he didn't have to worry about wearing someone's hand-me-downs that would probably look horrendous.

Slowly going through the trunk, he waited to hear the call for dinner. There was several textbooks for him to continue his sixth year education as well as a few more that looked like they were supposed to be for reading for fun. Most of the titles were rather unappealing except for a few like Les Miserables. He put them on a bookshelf that was in the room before going about putting up the clothes. There was the occasionally eccentric shirt or pants but most of the clothes were decent.

He was going through the last few thing in the trunk when he heard Mrs. Weasley call for dinner. He exited his room and almost ran into Hermione. "Watch your step," he commented, though it wasn't full of venom like it could have been.

Hermione snorted. "Only if you do. I was out here first," she said simply before walking by. "Dinner is ready, if you didn't hear. It's this way."

Severus sighed and shook his head. Well that was kind of civil. "I'm coming," he said, following her downstairs. "How many people live in this house?" There seemed to be a lot of bedrooms and he was curious. It wasn't friendly conversation, he told himself. Just simple curiosity. He would not be friends with a Gryffindor.

Hermione smirked slightly. "Six usually but Mrs. Weasley has seven children. Three of them don't live here," she said. "Though I'm not quite sure where the twins live so it might only be four that live here..."

Nodding slightly as they entered the kitchen, Severus took a seat on the opposite side of the table from Hermione. Maybe he could get through this meal without being fussed over by Mrs. Weasley or getting asked a ton of questions. He just wanted to eat and get to bed. It had been a long day and his headache from earlier was starting to come back.

Mrs. Weasley brought food to the table with a smile. "Now eat up you two. You're so thin. I would say they don't feed you but Ron always has enough food there," she said as she watched them each take some. "Don't be afraid to get seconds. Arthur should be home soon to eat and I can always make more for him."

Severus frowned slightly. "I couldn't eat all this in a week," he mumbled under his breath but not loud enough for her to hear. This was a ton of food. Especially since it seemed like they would be the only two eating for a moment.

Hermione heard him though. "It doesn't get any better. She always makes a lot," she told him quietly before digging in.

Dinner went by with a problem and eventually they were left to do their own thing. That lead to Hermione reading comfortably in a chair in the living room while Severus looked around. They both eventually headed to bed, saying a short good night to each other. Severus was asleep in a matter of minutes after he curled up under the blankets, the day having worn him out. Tomorrow would be his first real day in this time.

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(I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to update again tomorrow but it's bed time for tonight. Please review and tell me how I'm doing, good or bad.)


	5. Chapter 5

Severus was up rather early the next morning, still running on his schedule for school. He changed out of his pajamas and into something comfortable before leaving his room to see if Hermione was up. They might as well work together, even if they didn't talk to each other. He wanted to keep up with his class, if not get ahead of it.

By the time he made it downstairs, Hermione was already setting up a place for them to study. "Good morning," she said over her shoulder as he came in. "There's some breakfast in the kitchen if you want anything."

He glanced at her, frowning slightly, as went to get breakfast. When he came back, she had almost everything set up. Now he felt kind of bad that he had made her do all the work to set up something for the both of them. He had thought he would be up first and giving her crap about keeping him behind. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked shortly as he came back in with some toast.

"I always get up this early. It's not my fault that you like to sleep in," Hermione said as she took a step back and looked at it. "All done. Now, when you're done with your food, would you mind getting to work? I don't want to fall behind and now I'm able to work at almost my own pace."

Raising an eyebrow, Severus ate his toast. "I'm sorry. I had a long day yesterday. Excuse me for catching a few extra minutes of sleep," he said, anything but sincere. "If you don't mind, I'm going to get my textbooks. You can wait a few more minutes." He turned away and walked upstairs. Apparently, she was as impatient as he was when it came to being held back from doing his work. Hopefully, she wouldn't hold him back when it came to Potions. He knew he could make it through the book rather quickly if he was left to his own work.

He came back downstairs a few minutes later and put his books on the side of the table. "What subject do you want to start with?" he asked, taking a seat across the table from her.

"I was thinking Transfiguration. Unless you have an objection," Hermione said, practically daring him to disagree with her. Her brown eyes glared into his black ones, waiting for him to disagree with her. He had already given the idea that they couldn't get along so it wouldn't surprise her.

Severus smirked slightly. "Transfiguration it is," he said, just because she wanted him to disagree with her. He flipped open his book to where his class left off. "Is this where you are?"

She moved the book slightly so she could see and nodded. "Yep. Exactly where I am," Hermione said, brushing some hair out of her face.

"Good. Then I don't have to spend time catching you up," he said simply.

They went through their lessons easily, Severus slowly finding out how intelligent Hermione really was. It was nice to talk to someone that was actually smart enough to hold a conversation, not that he'd tell her that. They swapped the occasional insult or jibe as they worked but getting it done until they finally made it to Potions, which Severus was glad was last. It would end on at least a decent note if she was any good at it.

Severus stretched before reaching for his potions book. He was kind of stiff after sitting down for so long, even if they had taken a lunch break earlier. "So how good are you at Potions?" he asked, pulling out his old book. It wasn't in the best condition since he had flipped through it so much and there was so many notes in it but he liked it. He had even put _Property of the Half-Blood Prince _in the front of it since he was the son of Eileen Prince but a half-blood. He would never admit to being related to his father.

Hermione sighed as she opened her text book, frowning slightly. Her book was the opposite of his, making it pristine and clean while his was tattered and full of notes. "It's not my best subject, though I do decently in it," she said simply, not looking at him.

Unable to resist a smirk, Severus shook his head in amusement. "Finally found something you aren't good at." he said, glad to know he had an advantage on her with something. Though he was better than almost everyone at Potions. "We can start over with Draught of Living Death then. I don't want you to explode a cauldron on me or anything."

"Says you! An exploded cauldron was how you got here!" Hermione retorted quickly, glaring at him. "And I haven't made many cauldrons explode, thank you very much!"

Severus almost laughed at her retorts. She was practically shouting. It was quite amusing, considering that she probably wouldn't do anything. This whole system had practically been her idea. "Of course you haven't," he said simply, amused. "We'll start over anyways. Turn to Draught of Living Death and I'll teach you how to make it."

"Fine," Hermione grumbled. She glared at him but opened her book to it and then glanced at his book. "Wait a minute..." she trailed off softly, realizing something. "You're the Half-Blood Prince!"

"Excuse me? How do you know that name?" Severus asked, frowning. No one knew that nickname.

"It's in the front of Harry's book! And that look's exactly like his book," she explained quickly. "So you must be him! Which is odd because I thought Slytherin only excepted purebloods. That explains why Harry was suddenly really good at Potions this year. He was using your books and notes."

Severus frowned. So someone was using his book and actually doing good with it, but no one should have his book. There was dangerous spells in there. Like Sectumsempra. "Write your friend and tell him to throw that book out. It's not good for anyone who doesn't completely understand my notes. Which is no one but me. Write him and tell him to throw it out. Now," he said shortly.

Hermione frowned slightly, not expecting him to react so strongly about it. "What's wrong with it? Did you put something bad in it?" she asked quietly.

He hadn't wanted to tell her yet. Despite the fact that they were from different houses, they had managed to get along semi-well so far despite their occasional insults and jibes. But whoever her friend was couldn't have that book with things he probably didn't understand. "It's full of dark magic," Severus said quietly, looking away. That's why he hadn't been able to stay friends Lily, his interesting in the dark arts.

"WHAT?"

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(Hehe. Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to review and tell me how I'm doing on this. Thanks for reading. I'll update soon.)


	6. Chapter 6

"It's full of what?!" Hermione yelled at him, standing up.

"It's full of dark magic," he repeated again quietly. "Mostly spells I have developed and then the potions I had fixed. It's not safe for anyone else to have this book but me. So write him the letter and tell him to throw it out." Severus knew that he couldn't let anyone else get the book. It would be dangerous in their hands. It was also the closest thing to a diary he had because he did the different potions in it to distract himself.

She glared at him in angrily. "I plan on it. And then we will have a long conversation about this," she snapped and quickly writing a letter to Harry before giving it to Erol and sending the owl off. She came back and glared at him. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into with dark magic? You idiot!" She had gone from looking harmless when she was angry to someone that could cause some serious damage when they were angry.

Severus wouldn't put up with being yelled at though. Especially not by someone he didn't know very well. "Don't start with me! I never planned on using any of it! But if you know what people can do, you can defend yourself against it!" he snapped back. "To like Defense Against the Dark Arts, you have to have an interest of some sort in Dark Magic."

"My best friend is the best person in the world at Defense Against the Dark Arts and he doesn't have an interest in it!" Hermione shot back angrily. "Harry would never create dark spells that could hurt someone!"

Glaring, Severus rolled his eyes. "You can't seriously believe that. Any person with a normal amount of curiosity would try to create their own spells. And not all of mine are dark. Some of them are actually useful," he snapped in annoyance.

"Harry Potter would never do su-"

"MY BOOK FELL INTO THE HANDS OF A POTTER?" he interrupted angrily. This was horrible. Not only did someone he didn't know have his book but they were related James bloody Potter. He'd rather burn it without a way to get all of his work back than let it fall into the hands of a Potter. "HOW IN THE WORLD DID IT GET INTO THE HANDS OF THAT PRAT?!"

"Harry isn't a prat! You have no right to call him that!" Hermione snapped back, standing up. "Don't talk like you know him when you very obviously don't!"

"Well if he's anything like James Potter, I don't need to know him! Someone who hangs people upside down for fun and then causes them to lose their best friend is more than a prat! So excuse me for assuming he's a prat!" he yelled, getting up and walking away angrily. James was still a sore spot with him since he and Lily hadn't made up. He slammed his door behind him childishly. He could usually keep his cool but not when it came to Lily... She was the only thing that could usually wind him up.

Downstairs, he could hear Mrs. Weasley trying to figure out what had happened and then Granger, he refused to think of her as Hermione now, explaining what had happened. No wonder they hadn't gotten along well. She was friends with a bloody Potter.

He sank back into his bed, frowning. He probably shouldn't have yelled at her... It wasn't completely her fault. But she didn't understand. Just because he had an interest in the Dark Arts didn't mean he was evil. They were just an intricate part of magic that he wanted to understand better. Why was that a problem? If he understood it, he could protect himself against it. Though he could admit that he found them more than just academically interesting.

He could hear footsteps coming upstairs and the door open and shut, signalling Hermione had gone to her own room as well. At least she wouldn't be a Gryffindor and try to come apologize to him. He would have just told her to bugger off anyways.

So he was surprised when he heard a knock at the door. Must be Mrs. Weasley. He sighed and got up, opening the door to see the red headed woman. "Yes, Mrs. Weasley?" he asked, trying not to be completely rude.

Mrs. Weasley frowned slightly. "I heard what happened. You really shouldn't have yelled at her, though she shouldn't have yelled at you either. She just worries about people," she told him gently. "Would you go apologize to her? I think she's sorry as well."

Severus pressed his lips together and shook his head. "No. I'd rather not. She wouldn't listen to my explanations," he said simply.

"Because you were both yelling, dear. I'm sure now that you both calmed down you can have a logical conversation and she would listen. You two would be great friends for each other. You're so much alike from what I can see," Mrs. Weasley told him. "Could you please go talk to her? I want to see you two get along."

She was guilt tripping him. Great. That was just what he needed on top of all that was going on. "I will not talk to her tonight," he said simply. "Or at least not until after dinner. I do not want to talk to her right now."

Mrs. Weasley sighed softly. "I guess that's the best I can ask for. Please do talk to her soon though. I don't want to see you two arguing. And I told her the same thing so if she comes to you first, please do to talk to her. I'm sure you two could get along if you tried," she said. "Or at least be polite to each other and not yell."

"I'll be civil," Severus promised simply, looking at her. He wouldn't promise anything more than that.

"Thank you, dear. I'm going to go back downstairs. Maybe you two can work something out," she said with a motherly smile before walking away.

Closing the door after her, Severus sighed and shook his head. He hated that he was stuck here with someone he couldn't get along with and a woman who wanted them both to get along. He just wanted to go home and get out of this mess, maybe try to fix things with Lily. Instead, he was stuck with a frizzy haired girl who didn't even try to listen to his side of the story, and she was friends with a Potter. It was just too much. He went over to his trunk and pulled out Les Miserables. Maybe he could distract himself for a while with the story from the French Revolution. It would be a lot easier than trying to think things though right now and it was help him to calm down some.

Before he could get more than a hundred pages into it, there was a light knock on his door. "Snape... Can we talk?"

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(I hope you guys enjoyed it! If I do anything too out of character for them, please let me know. I wouldn't want to mess them up. Please review and let me know how I'm doing!)


	7. Chapter 7

Severus pressed his lips together in annoyance. He had hoped she would let him get past the two hundred mark before trying to come talk to him. "Would it work if I told you to bugger off?" he asked shortly, not putting his book up quite yet. Maybe she would just go away and let him enjoy his book while he tried to cool off just a bit.

He heard a sigh on the other side of the door. "No. I would just sit here until you let me in and interrupt whatever you happen to be doing," Hermione said simply. Stupid annoying Gryffindors.

Biting back a groan, Severus got up to open the door after marking his page. "What do you want?" he asked shortly, glaring at her in annoyance. He would be semi-civil since she didn't have the common sense to leave it be until morning. They had been yelling at each other not too long ago and now she thought she could just come in and make up for it.

"I told you what I want. I want to talk. Since Mrs. Weasley will guilt trip us till we don't," Hermione said, looking back at him calmly. "So if you would let me in, we can try to discuss this without shouting. Will you let me in or do I get to stand in the hall while we talk?" Though she was offering peace, it was obvious she was still annoyed.

"Well come in then since you won't leave me alone," Severus said, stepping to the side to let her in.

Hermione stepped inside, glancing around to see what he had here. Though none of it was really his except for the wand in his pocket... She took a seat in the chair in the room, opting not to sit on the bed beside him.

Severus took a seat on the edge of his bed and watched her for a long moment, waiting for her to speak first. She had been the one to want to talk first so it was her job to speak about it first. He didn't have to wait too long.

"I... Probably shouldn't have yelled at you," she said after a deep breath. It took a lot for her to apologize when she felt she was in the right. "I've had quite a few encounters with Dark Magic, so my immediate reaction to it isn't anything good. It didn't help that you insulted one of my best friends and then his father."

He listened to her quietly, letting her get it all out. "You probably shouldn't have," he agreed as he thought through what he wanted to say in turn. She had been decent throughout her apology. "My interest in the Dark Arts is not anything dangerous. It is something that made me interested because I didn't understand it completely." His friends were also really into it, though that probably wouldn't help his case since a few of them were Death Eaters. "I will not apologize for insulting a Potter though. I have had no good experience with that family."

"Just because someone's parents weren't the best doesn't mean the child is the same way!" Hermione snapped and then paused, taking a deep breath. This was supposed to be a civil conversation. "Harry never knew his parents, anyway. So he probably isn't much like them except in his looks." She could live with his interest in the Dark Arts if it was purely academic. She understood academic curiosity.

Severus rolled his eyes, ignoring how she had raised her voice for just a minute. "Joy. I still don't like my book being in the hands of the son of someone that has tortured me since first year," he said, grimacing slightly. That was the oddest sentence he had ever said.

Hermione frowned. "I'm sure you're exaggerating a bit. James couldn't have been that bad... Could he?" she asked, not willing to believe that one of her best friends parents had been a prat.

Severus glared at her for the assumption of James Potter being decent. "He is the worst in the whole school with Black at his side," he snapped in annoyance. No one seemed to understand how bad it really was to deal with the relentless tormenting everyday when they had already made him lose his best friend from it because of one slip of the tongue.

"Sirius? I mean... I know he wasn't exactly the best but he couldn't have been that bad. He seemed nice enough for the time I knew him," she said quietly, frowning. "He was a great godfather to Harry while we knew him. A little on the rowdy side but not mean."

"You wouldn't know because you never saw it!" he snapped back, glaring at her venomously.

Hermione raised her hands in surrender. "Let's just agree not to talk about it," she offered, frowning. "I'm really sorry they were horrible to you though. Harry's different. Though I agree he should get rid of that book."

Severus looked slightly surprised at her offer and then apology. Lily was the only one who had ever apologized or said that they were horrible. Everyone else had though they were angels straight from heaven itself. "Ok then. I guess that works," he said, slowly calming down. He had half expected her to continue arguing with him and try to say that the Marauders were actually nice people when she hadn't even been there. Which they weren't.

Hermione gave him a slight smile. "Good. Can we try to get along now that we've talked it out well enough? And you promise me that your interest in the Dark Arts is purely academic," she said. "I can't condone any other interest in it, after all."

Nodding slightly, Severus offered her a hand this time, deciding to start it all over. "I guess I can promise that. I've never used the really harmful spells I've discovered," he said quietly. "We can be civil. Everyone knows it's almost impossible for Slytherins and Gryffindors to get along.

Hermione smirked as she took his hand. Maybe the peace would last longer than a day this time

"Not completely impossible."

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(I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review and tell me how I'm doing. I love hearing from your guys because you give me ideas sometimes and keep me inspired to keep writing.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! I had a good one and hope you did too!)


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next few days, Hermione and Severus managed to get some real school work done and get along decently despite Severus's claims that a Gryffindor and Slytherin could never get along. For people that couldn't get along, Severus discovered that they were quite alike in someways. She apparently had a love for books that almost rivaled his own and she was extremely intelligent. Something that he appreciated a lot since they worked together. She just needed a bit of help with her potions sometimes.

On Severus's fifth day there, Hermione noticed him with Les Miserables. "Severus, are you reading this?" she asked curiously, picking up the book and flipping to see where he was in it.

Severus looked over in surprise. "Yeah. It's really. I don't always understand the French and have to find a dictionary but still. It's a good story. You should read it," he commented, his Potions book in his hand. As much as he liked reading other things, the Potions book was fun for him because it was a challenge. "I think you would enjoy, even if it is a Muggle story."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "I've read it. I enjoyed it as well. Though I had to resort to a French to English dictionary a few times as well. It's worth the trouble though," she said with a slight smile. "You should tell me what you think of it when you're done."

Severus smirked in amusement. It was nice to have someone else around that read as much as he did, if not more occasionally. "I'm thinking it is too. We will have to talk about it when I finish it," he agreed. "See if we agree completely on it and all." He didn't even notice that they were getting along. It just felt kind of... normal.

"I've never met someone with as much of an interest in books as me," Hermione commented quietly, smiling. "What's your favorite one?"

Shrugging, Severus thought about it for a moment. "Hm... I'd probably have to say Oliver Twist is my favorite," he said simply as he decided on a book. He could particularly relate to having a difficult childhood, though that story had a somewhat happy ending He didn't think he would. "Though I'm not too picky one what I read as long as it is not overly romantic."

Hermione nodded slightly, bit her lip. "That's a nice book. Though it's rather sad," she said softly, frowning slightly. "The poor boy has such a horrible childhood."

"I can relate," Severus mumbled softly, not expecting her to hear his mumblings.

Looking at him in surprise, Hermione frowned softly. "You had a bad childhood as well?" she asked gently, looking at him. She knew that the Marauders had bullied him but she didn't know that he had a horrible home life as well.

Severus pressed his lips together. "I hadn't expected you hear that. You have ears like a bat," he muttered softly, looking away. He didn't want to discuss his home or childhood. None of it was pleasant and she certainly wouldn't want to hear it anyways. "What's your favorite book?" Maybe he could change the subject and get her off track.

"A History of Magic," she answered without hesitation. Obviously, she knew that. "It was the first book I read when I found out magic and witches were real. I've read many times."

Severus nodded slightly. "Are you muggleborn then?" he asked curiously, having not realized that. He was carefl not to utter 'mudblood' again. He had made that mistake one already. She was intelligent enough on everything magic that he never would have expected it. Though, if he thought about it, he should have realized that was no indicator of blood. Lily was one of the brightest people he knew, and she was muggleborn as well. And he certainly knew some idiot purebloods. He didn't have the same opinion of muggleborns that his housemates did, being as he was a halfblood.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. I am," she said, shrugging slightly. "I guess that's why I work so hard at everything. I entered school feeling like I was at a disadvantage to everyone because I hadn't grown up in a magical world. It was nice to realize I wasn't missing much of an advantage but I still felt the need to prove myself."

"Lily is muggleborn too. She's the brightest witch I know... I guess I should have expected you were too," he said. He hadn't meant to mention Lily. It just came out. He could feel his longing to be her friend again in his chest.

"You kne- know Lily?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise as she corrected her tense of words. Maybe she shouldn't mention Lily had married his arch enemy, and then later died for their son who was her best friend.

Severus nodded, sighing. "Yeah. We were best friends," he said, wishing they still were. "She's an amazing person."

"Were? What happened?" Hermione asked gently, having no idea she was stepping on a land mind.

Looking away, Severus took a deep breath. "Were. Those bloody Marauders put me in a bad position and I made a mistake," he said softly, having talked to no one about this. Now, he was telling someone he barely knew. But he needed to trust someone. Maybe she would help him. "I called her something unforgivable and she won't listen to me even for an apology now."

Hermione frowned slightly. "I'm sorry," she said softly. She sat down in the chair beside him, biting her lip slightly. She looked like she wanted to reach out and comfort him but she wasn't sure how he would react.

Severus shrugged slightly as he tried to at least look calm. "So am I... Though I don't blame her for not talking to me. I called her a mudblood," he said softly. "I heard it so much from my housemates and it just slipped out. I was being hung upside down by my ankle and wasn't thinking. I'd never said it before but the one time I did, it was to her and now she won't event look at me."

Hermione froze for a moment at the word 'mudblood'. "I don't blame her for being angry. That's horrible to call someone," she told him, careful to keep the sharpness out of her voice. "But, if you were best friends, I would think she should listen to. I know I would if Ron or Harry called me that. After I got done yelling at them for beings arses."

Looking surprised, Severus turned and looked at her curiously. "Really?" he asked softly, ignoring her mention of the Potter boy. He hadn't expected that from. She seemed like someone quick to get offended at such a word.

"Yeah. I'd forgive them. Eventually. It might take a few weeks because they know how hurtful that would be from them but I'd forgive them. I don't know what I'd do without them for too long. They're my best friends after all," Hermione said quietly, nodding.

The look on Severus's face was full of relief. He had thought she was going to yell at him like she had when she found his out what was in his Potion's book. "We had all of summer break and before that... It happened in fifth year. I live right down the street from her and she wouldn't talk to me all summer. It was horrible," he murmured. It had been the worst summer of his life because he had no where to run to when things got bad at home. He hadn't wanted to go to their clearing after a while for fear of her yelling at him. "I don't think she'll ever forgive me."

Hermione gave him a soft smile, hoping to reassure him. "Then, even though it hurts, maybe it would be better to find better friends. Someone who would understand it was a mistake," she said quietly.

Severus looked at her, emotion showing in his black eyes for once. "Maybe," he whispered. Maybe he had just found the friend he needed.

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(I hope you enjoyed this chapter, my lovely readers! I love reading your reviews and I try to message each one of you in thanks. I'm sorry if I missed you. Let me know how I'm doing!)


	9. Chapter 9

Severus saw her smile at him, not realizing that he had shown some sort emotion through his eyes for once. That was usually the most guarded part of his face because eyes could give away anything. "Should we get back to work?" he asked, feeling a little too exposed after all that. He didn't open up to most people, and he realized he didn't know her that well. Though she was a better friend then most of his Slytherin friends were.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Sure. Maybe you can teach me to brew a bit better. Merlin knows that I could certainly use it," she said, smirking slightly. She paused, seeming to realize something. "I wonder why do you make a better teacher than your older self."

"You aren't as bad as you make yourself sound," he said simply, shaking his head. He shrugged, not quite sure either. Though, he had noticed, his older self was much colder. And crueler. That probably had something to do with it. He couldn't imagine what had happened to make himself so cold.

Severus got up, walking over to where they had set up their school equipment. "Well, might as well get started," he said. They continued to work on Potions, and whatever else they felt was needed, until dinner was called. They stopped to eat and then relaxed for a while by the fire in the living room, both with a book in hand. It was comfortable and neither had to talk.

As he finished a chapter, Severus got distracted by his thoughts and just looked into the fire as he thought. His mind was going back to his own time. His own life before all this. This was better than being at home, or having to deal with the Marauders. Home was the worst though, because then it was his family that didn't like him. He missed Hogwarts though.

Hermione glanced over and caught him staring into space. "Severus?" she asked quietly, snapping him out of his revery. "Are you ok? You were just staring into the fire. That isn't good for your eyes, you know."

Severus looked at her in surprise. "Oh. Yeah," he said simply, shrugging. Should he tell her? He wasn't quite sure... "I was thinking about home." That was a safe thing to say, since he meant his own time. He could be thinking about anything, as far as she knew.

"I can't imagine what it must be like. Wrenched from your own time and thrown ahead twenty years," she said softly. "It has to be quite a nerve wracking experience. And confusing."

Severus snorted and rolled his eyes. "Of course you can't imagine. It didn't happen to you," he said shortly.

Hermione frowned slightly. "I know it didn't happen to me. I am trying to make it easier for you so don't get short tempered with me," she told him. "I am trying to be your friend, despite the fact that you seem quite determined for us to not get along sometimes."

He was brought up short at her words. Few people ever tried to be his friend, especially those outside of his house, because he wasn't the most approachable person. And he knew it. Merlin, he used it to his advantage sometimes. Taking a deep breath, he looked at her. "I... Apologize then," he said quietly. Those words had hardly ever left his mouth, but she really seemed to be genuine in her trying for his friendship. Which was surprising, considering how prickly he could be.

"That's fine," Hermione said, giving a small smile at his apology. It obviously had taken a bit from him to get the words out. "What were you thinking about home?"

Sighing, Severus was glad she had changed the subject. And accepted his apology. That wasn't something he was used to doing. "Just that I miss Hogwarts. Mostly the common room and Slughorn's room. I spent a lot of time in his classroom, brewing."

Hermione nodded. "I guess so. It would explain why you're so good at it. It sounds like Hogwarts was more your home than anywhere else," she said, watching him curiously.

"Sometimes, it was. But isn't it that way for all of us?" he asked simply. He didn't want to explain how abusive his father could be to her. It was true. When one went to Hogwarts, they would spend seventy-five percent of the next seven years there. It became like at least a second home to every kid.

Hermione nodded. "I guess so," she said softly then yawned. She glanced at a clock and noticed the time in surprise. "Wow. It's late. I'm going to head to bed. Good night, Severus. I'll see you in the morning." She stood, picking up her own book and giving him a small smile. It was 11:30. The time had just slipped away after dinner when they had started reading. She headed upstairs as he got up.

"Good night, Hermione," Severus said simply, grabbing his own book and marking his spot before following her up. He went to his respective room and changed before going to bed, trying to relax. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

He slowly fell asleep in the middle of a thought about Hermione actually being a decent Gryffindor. Hopefully, it wouldn't end the same as it had with Lily. He didn't think he could lose another friend like he had Lily, even if he didn't know Hermione very well.

A few hours later, he awoke with a gasp and sitting up. "Bloody nightmares," he said softly, rubbing at his eyes. His worst memory. Lily. Mudblood. It still ran through his head as he tried to send the bad dream away so he could go back to sleep. It was his fault she was gone. He had made her leave. It was his fault. He took a deep breath. He couldn't think about that right now. He'd break down like he had after that in fifth year. Here, he didn't have the privacy to break down. He took a shaky breath, slowly trying to clear his thoughts.

He was almost tempted to wake Hermione to talk to her.

But he couldn't do that. She might know what happened but he didn't want her to know that he had nightmares. It would make him look weak.

He didn't want to look weak to her.

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(I know this chapter took a little longer than usual. I'm very sorry. School started again and I got busy. I hope you enjoyed it, though! Let me know how I'm doing! Thanks guys!)


	10. Chapter 10

Severus took a shaky breath, trying to figure out what to do. He wanted someone to talk to, but he didn't want to look weak. Exposing himself to others that way was a frightening thought. He couldn't bring himself to get up and talk to her.

Then he would have to wake her up all over a stupid nightmare.

She seemed to think he was... Anything but weak. He wouldn't give her a reason to think otherwise if he could help it. He bit his lip and leaned back against his bed, thinking. How could he get through this all without hurting himself? He didn't want to be as cold as his older self seemed to be. Something had to have happened to make him that mean towards the world. Maybe he could get Hermione to tell him tomorrow.

With a distraction in mind, Severus managed to lay back down and try to get some sleep. However, the moment he let his eyes shut again, the memory continued on repeat. Then it flashed through with Hermione in place of Lily. Bloody Hell. He sat up again quickly, grimacing and rubbing his eyes as he took another deep breath. It would only go away if he got up and did something. He might as well try talking to Hermione.

He got up, quietly walking out of his room and going over to her door. It took a few moments for him to gather the courage to actually knock on her door. No matter what that stupid Sorting Hat said, he was by no means a Gryffindor.

He didn't even have the courage to knock on Hermione's door, and he had never had the courage to tell Lily how he felt. With that thought, he knocked very lightly on her door. Severus decided if she didn't answer after that knock, he would go back to bed and deal with it himself. He didn't want to have to knock loudly and risk waking everyone else in the house as well as her.

He was about to turn away and go back to his room when Hermione opened the door.

She looked barely awake and her hair was frizzing out in several directions. She wore sweat pants and a tshirt in Gryffindor colors. "Severus?" Hermione asked after a yawn with very confused look on her face. "What's wrong?"

It was almost cute, the way she looked. Severus mentally shook the thought away. "Um... Never mind. It's not that important," he mumbled awkwardly. She looked like she was really tired and he didn't want to cut into her sleep time if she needed it that much. He should have thought about that in the first place.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him tiredly. "You already woke me up. Come in and tell me what made you wake me up," she said, stepping to the side to let him in. "Unless you want to talk in the hall."

Severus bit his lip before stepping inside and looking around for a place to sit. He didn't want to sit on the bed. That would be kind of awkward... He got lucky and there was a desk with a chair where he could sit. "Thanks," he said quietly, taking a seat. He was an idiot for bringing this to her. He didn't even know her that well, but he was already here. He might as well talk to her now. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he glanced around her room.

There was books everywhere, though they were all well organized. In fact, her whole room was organized. She even had her books in alphabetical order from what he could tell. He was shaken from his thoughts as she spoke again, glancing over to see her sitting on her bed.

"What's wrong? I doubt you would wake me up for no reason," Hermione said, seeming far more awake now.

He sighed and looked rather awkward. "It seems really stupid now," he muttered. "But I had a bad dream and I couldn't get back to sleep." The last sentence was really soft, like he didn't want to admit it.

Hermione's face softened at his words after a small moment of surprise. Nightmares were understandable. "Oh," she said, moving to the end of the bed so she was sitting a bit closer to her. "I get that. I can't get back to sleep all the time after a nightmare either. Do you want to talk about it?"

Severus saw her face soften at his words and felt kind of embarrassed. At least she didn't laugh at him or call him weak. Though he hoped that she didn't pity him. "Not- Yeah. I guess I do," he murmured, frowning. "It was about calling Lily a mudblood."

"That would make since. She was your best friend before that. It'd be best to move on but I doubt it's that easy," she told him gently. "That would qualify as a reason not to be able to get back to sleep."

He leaned back into the chair, frowning as he thought of Lily. He missed her so much. "It's not," he said softly. "I don't have anyone else I'm that close to. And she knows it. And I introduced her to magic. I helped her find out about Hogwarts and she helped me get through any time I had to spend at home. Or deal with the bloody Marauders. She completely left me and won't let me make it up to her. I miss having a best friend. It's not just something I can just get over..." He trailed off, not realizing he had said so much in the first place. It just came out in his tired, post-nightmare state. He did need someone to talk to about it. He just hadn't realized how much.

He was brought back to the present in surprise by a hug from Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I kind of understand," she said softly. "I can kind of understand that. No one should have to go through that alone. In first year, I didn't have any friends. I was just the know-it-all. No one deserves to not have a best friend."

Severus hesitantly, and rather awkwardly, hugged her back. He had no words.

"I know I told you I would be civil towards you. Now I promise to be your friend. Not just civil," Hermione said quietly as she pulled away. She had a few tears in her eyes which she quickly swiped away in turn for a small smile. "Ok?"

He nodded slightly, surprised at her words and even more thankful for them.

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(I know this took a while again but I hope you guys enjoy it. I will try to update as soon as possible. Please review and let me know how I'm doing!)


	11. Chapter 11

Severus sat there for a little while longer, enjoying the comfortable silence when he heard Hermione Yawn. "I am going to return to bed... Thank you," he said quietly, standing up and giving her the slightest of smiles.

Hermione smiled thankfully, rubbing at her eyes. "I'll see you in the morning then. Unless you have another nightmare," she said simply, glad to have helped. "Good night, Severus. And if you still can't sleep, I find reading something usually helps." She wanted to help, but she wasn't sure how he would react to her saying too much. He might push her away again...

"Good night, Hermione. I may do just that," Severus said simply. "But I think I can sleep now."

He turned away from Hermione and headed out the door quietly, closing the door behind him so that she could have her privacy and go back to sleep. He had woken her up in the middle of the night after all. There was no way she was not tired... He entered his own room, closing the door behind him and flopping down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

She actually was a decent person... It really was shocking. A Gryffindor. Was decent. To him. The concept was completely foreign, and he had issues wrapping his head around it. He had though Lily was an oddity when she became a lion and found out how the others acted. Then he had met Hermione and she was just as nice... If not a bit nicer. She seemed to understand being the oddball. Whereas Lily had always had always fit in. She never understood why he wouldn't go making friends with a lot of people. They always judged him the moment they saw him...

He slowly drifted off in his comparisons, exhausted, and slept through the rest of the night easily.

While the next few days went by rather easily, Severus and Hermione slowly grew closer. Bonding over books and their studies, it was obvious they were two very similar people. They became rather pleasant around each other and worked well together as well as taking to talking by the fireplace after dinner most nights.

Molly smiled as she watched the two teens in her care talking by the fire after dinner one night. "Arthur... I don't ever remember seeing Severus make friends so easily. Do you?" she asked, looking at her husband. She had watched both of the kids slowly overcome their differences, mostly differences of house. It was nice to see Hermione making more friends as well but she had always worried over Severus, even now that he was a grown man.  
Though grown-up Severus Snape hardly appreciated it and brushed off any of her attempts when they even saw each other.

Arthur looked up from his newspaper and watched the two for a moment. "He's prickly, Mols. Well, the older one is. We never knew him as a child," he reminded. "He obviously changed between sixteen and thirty-six. Which is only to be expected. But maybe Hermione is good for him. She always was nice to everyone."

"Well of course he's changed!" she said, smiling and shaking her head before quickly lowering her voice, not wanting to draw their attention. If they realized she was watching them, they might stop getting along. "But... I don't know. They get along like they belong together..." She trailed off a curious thought hitting her.

Arthur groaned quietly. "Molly, don't interfere with their relationship. It's not fair anyways. He has to go home eventually and it will leave her heartbroken. I doubt the current Severus would return her feelings, if they develop, by now. Twenty years is a long time," he said.

She sighed and shook her head, watching the two a moment longer before turning away and waving her wand to direct dishes towards the sink. "You have a good point. Still. They would be perfect for each other and you know it," she said simply as she walked towards the sink to finish cleaning up.

Hermione could be heard laughing in the other room, smiling brightly at Severus. "There's no way that could work you know... Just because some potions taste bad doesn't mean that you can simply add peppermint or some other flavoring. It would offset the whole potion," she said, shaking her head at him.

Severus snorted. "If you use other ingredients to balance it out, it would not only taste better but it would feel better going down. Some potions have a funny texture but a little honey or peppermint would be a great help," he said. He had tried it before, after all. "Besides, you said you aren't any good at Potions. How would you know?"

Sticking her tongue out at him, Hermione folded her arms across her chest. "I understand Potions' theory better than the actually making. It shouldn't be able to work that way," she argued, frowning.

"How about I make one my way and you make one the normal way and we'll test them?" he offered with a slight smirk.

Hermione's face broke out in a grin. "Sounds good to me. You're going to lose," she said. "But it has to be something simple that we can both make and know it will come out perfect with on a normal basis. Got it?"

He nodded. "Sounds good. We can start that tomorrow," he said, offering a hand to seal the idea off.

The brunette grinned and took his hand. "Deal."

* * *

(Little shorter than they usually are. I apologize for my long disappearance. I sincerely hope I didn't disappoint anyone. Please tell me what you think and if I screwed up or not! Thanks. :) )


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